Many A-list celebrities have fallen in love with one another after assuming the role of a couple on screen. Sadly, the majority of those love tales end badly as the couple separates for ideological reasons. One such pairing was Diane Keaton and Al Pacino, who fell in love with each other during the filming of the classic 1972 flick, The Godfather, helmed by Francis Ford Coppola.
Keaton was still relatively new to the industry when Paramount Pictures cast her as Kay Adams in one of the biggest movies ever made. It was there that she also got to know Pacino, her former partner. After being paired opposite in the film series, the on-screen couple soon started dating off-screen.
But did you know that, despite the unmistakable chemistry that sizzled through our cinema screens, Keaton and Pacino’s real-life romance had a sad ending?
Diane Keaton’s Candid Reflections on Al Pacino’s Enduring Appeal
Diane Keaton and Al Pacino, who portrayed Kay Adams and Michael Corleone in The Godfather, respectively, had a relationship that was inconsistent. While they appeared to have a tense relationship on screen, the actors actually became close off-screen. Keaton admitted that, while they did not immediately go on a date, she was “really very taken” by her on-screen partner from the start.
Their chemistry on screen was evident off camera as well; in a 2013 interview with The Telegraph, Keaton reminisced:
“I was really very taken with Al from the very beginning.”
The two did not start dating until they started working on The Godfather Part II, the sequel. In 2017, the actress, now 78, informed PEOPLE:
“I was mad for him.”
Keaton laughed as she spoke of her past relationships, recalling her happy times with her “many loves”. She told the publication that she “had a crush” on Pacino when they worked together on The Godfather.
Referring to her The Godfather co-star, she said:
“Charming, hilarious, a nonstop talker. There was an aspect of him that was like a lost orphan, like this kind of crazy idiot savant. And oh, gorgeous!”
The romance between Keaton and Pacino was the talk of the town, with both fans and the media making assumptions about it. However, their romance was never meant to last.
Diane Keaton and Al Pacino Never Tied the Knot?
Sometime after The Godfather Part III, Diane Keaton and Al Pacino called it quits on their romantic relationship. The Annie Hall actress ended their relationship after he refused to commit to marriage, as she revealed to PEOPLE:
“I worked hard on that one. I went about it in not a perfect way.”
Looking back, though, Keaton felt no resentment. She said (via Instyle):
“I don’t think it would have been a good idea for me to have married, and I’m really glad I didn’t, and I’m sure [my exes are] happy about it, too.”
Keaton is single at the moment and has chosen to adopt two children, instead of concentrating on getting married. As per Closer Weekly, she stated the following in a 2010 interview with Film Monthly:
“I think the reason I didn’t get married was because I would have to compromise too much. I wanted to try more adventurous things for myself.”
Along with dating a number of actors, Pacino has also dated Tuesday Weld, Jill Clayburgh, Marthe Keller, Kathleen Quinlan, and Beverly D’Angelo (via Independent). Also, from a relationship with acting coach Jan Tarrant, he has a daughter. He is currently single and similar to Keaton, he has never tied the knot.
Well, their individual on-screen chemistry never wavered, and they continued to deliver powerful performances that appealed to viewers.
The Godfather is streaming on FuboTV and Peacock.
